Marathon Tempo Progression

Workout - Marathon Tempo Progression

• 15min @ 9'52''/mi
• 0.0mi @ 8'00''/mi
• 0.0mi @ 7'50''/mi
• 0.0mi @ 7'40''/mi
• 12min @ 10'15''/mi

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Intro

A breakdown of Training for a Marathon? Watch Out for These 5 Big Mistakes! from The Run Experience. Watch the full video for the nuance. These are the principles to apply today.

Key points

• Easy runs need to be easy. Aim for paces 1 to 2 minutes per mile below goal marathon pace. This keeps you aerobic and cuts injury risk.
• Build aerobic capacity before speed. Use tempo, threshold, steady-state, and progression runs. Pure speed work stays minimal, mainly strides and short pickups for form.
• Make weekday sessions count. Midweek runs are your chance to work on mechanics, tempo progressions, or varied terrain. This prepares your body for race conditions while managing fatigue.
• Slot in a medium-long run biweekly. A 5 to 9 mile run every other week adds variety without inflating weekly mileage.
• Build in recovery windows. Every 3 to 4 weeks, drop volume by 20 to 40% to allow adaptation and avoid overtraining.

Workout example

Sample week (marathon pace around 8:00 min/mi):

• Mon: easy 5 mi at 9:30 to 9:45 min/mi (recovery)
• Tue: tempo progression. 2 mi easy, 3 mi at 7:45 to 8:00 min/mi, 1 mi cool-down (on race-type terrain)
• Wed: technique and drills. 4 mi easy with 6 × 20-sec strides at the end
• Thu: medium-long run 7 mi at 8:30 to 8:45 min/mi (steady aerobic work)
• Fri: rest or cross-train
• Sat: long run 14 mi at 9:00 to 9:15 min/mi (1 to 2 min slower than marathon pace)
• Sun: easy 4 mi at 9:30 min/mi or rest

Every 3 to 4 weeks, replace the long run with an adaptation run of 8 to 10 mi at 20 to 40% reduced volume.

Closing note

Try these ideas in your next training block. Plug your goal into the Pacing app to set each run’s target pace.

References

• Training for a Marathon? Watch Out for These 5 Big Mistakes! - YouTube (YouTube Video)